TURUN YLIOPISTON MAANTIETEEN JA GEOLOGIAN LAITOKSEN JULKAISUJA PUBLICATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF UNIVERSITY OF TURKU MAANTIETEEN JA GEOLOGIAN LAITOS DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY Afghans in Iran: Migration Patterns and Aspirations Patterns Migration in Iran: Afghans No. 14 TURUN YLIOPISTON MAANTIETEEN JA GEOLOGIAN LAITOKSEN JULKAISUJA PUBLICATIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF TURKU No. 1. Jukka Käyhkö and Tim Horstkotte (Eds.): Reindeer husbandry under global change in the tundra region of Northern Fennoscandia. 2017. No. 2. Jukka Käyhkö och Tim Horstkotte (Red.): Den globala förändringens inverkan på rennäringen på norra Fennoskandiens tundra. 2017. No. 3. Jukka Käyhkö ja Tim Horstkotte (doaimm.): Boazodoallu globála rievdadusaid siste Davvi-Fennoskandia duottarguovlluin. 2017. AFGHANS IN IRAN: No. 4. Jukka Käyhkö ja Tim Horstkotte (Toim.): Globaalimuutoksen vaikutus porotalouteen Pohjois-Fennoskandian tundra-alueilla. 2017. MIGRATION PATTERNS No. 5. Jussi S. Jauhiainen (Toim.): Turvapaikka Suomesta? Vuoden 2015 turvapaikanhakijat ja turvapaikkaprosessit Suomessa. 2017. AND ASPIRATIONS No. 6. Jussi S. Jauhiainen: Asylum seekers in Lesvos, Greece, 2016-2017. 2017 No. 7. Jussi S. Jauhiainen: Asylum seekers and irregular migrants in Lampedusa, Italy, 2017. 2017 Nro 172 No. 8. Jussi S. Jauhiainen, Katri Gadd & Justus Jokela: Paperittomat Suomessa 2017. 2018. Salavati Sarcheshmeh & Bahram Eyvazlu Jussi S. Jauhiainen, Davood No. 9. Jussi S. Jauhiainen & Davood Eyvazlu: Urbanization, Refugees and Irregular Migrants in Iran, 2017. 2018. No. 10. Jussi S. Jauhiainen & Ekaterina Vorobeva: Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Jordan, 2017. 2018. (Eds.) No. 11. Jussi S. Jauhiainen: Refugees and Migrants in Turkey, 2018. 2018. TURKU 2008 ΕήΟΎϬϣΕϼϳΎϤΗϭΎϫϮ̴ϟ΍ϥ΍ήϳ΍έΩ̶ϧΎΘδϧΎϐϓ΍ϥ΍ήΟΎϬϣ ISBN No. 12. Tua Nylén, Harri Tolvanen, Anne Erkkilä-Välimäki & Meeli Roose: Guide for cross-border spatial data analysis in Maritime Spatial Planning. 2019. Afgaanit Iranissa: muuttoliike ja muuttohalukkuus No. 13. Jussi S. Jauhiainen, Lutz Eichholz & Annette Spellerberg: Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Undocumented Migrants in Germany, 2019. The Case of Rhineland-Palatinate and Kaiserslautern. 2019. No. 14. Jussi S. Jauhiainen, Davood Eyvazlu & Bahram Salavati Sarcheshmeh: Afghans in Iran: Migration Patterns Afghans in Iran: Migration Patterns and Aspirations and Aspirations. 2020. ΎϬόϓ΍ϭΩϭΓέΟϬϟ΍ρΎϣϧ΃ϥ΍έϳ·ϲϓϥΎϐϓϷ΍ϥϭέΟΎϬϣϟ΍ Jussi S. Jauhiainen, Davood Eyvazlu & Bahram Salavati Sarcheshmeh ISBN 978-951-29-7933-2 (printed) ISSN 2489-2319 (printed) 14 ISBN 978-951-29-7934-9 (Internet) ISSN 2324-0369 (Internet) AFGHANS IN IRAN: MIGRATION PATTERNS AND ASPIRATIONS Jussi S. Jauhiainen, Davood Eyvazlu & Bahram Salavati Sarcheshmeh Turku 2020 University of Turku Department of Geography and Geology Division of Geography ISBN 978-951-29-7933-2 (printed) ISBN 978-951-29-7934-9 (Internet) ISSN 2489-2319 (printed) ISSN 2324-0369 (Internet) Painosalama Oy – Turku, Finland 2020 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................5 1.1. Research project..................................................................................5 1.2. Research questions, material and methods.........................................6 1.3. Migration-related concepts.................................................................9 1.4. Research highlights........................................................................... 13 2. MIGRATION OF AFGHANS IN IRAN........................................................... 16 2.1. From ‘open doors’ to focused refugee policies................................... 18 2.2. Repatriation vs. separation or integration policies............................20 2.3. Impact of international regimes and policies....................................26 3. RESEARCH RESULTS ABOUT AFGHANS IN IRAN.......................................29 3.1. Afghan respondents’ backgrounds....................................................29 3.2. Afghan respondents’ migration to and within Iran............................33 3.3. Afghan respondents’ (return) migration and migration aspira- tions to Afghanistan...........................................................................45 3.4. Afghan respondents’ migration and migration aspirations to elsewhere than Afghanistan or Iran...................................................52 4. CONCLUSIONS.........................................................................................58 5. REFERENCES............................................................................................. 61 6. AFGHANS IN IRAN: MIGRATION PATTERNS AND ASPIRATIONS...............65 7. AFGAANIT IRANISSA: MUUTTOLIIKE JA MUUTTOHALUKKUUS..............68 71............................................... مهاجران افغانستانی در ایران: الگوها و تمایﻻت مهاجرت .8 74 ..........................................................المهاجرون اﻷفغان في إيران: أنماط الهجرة ودوافعها .9 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Research project The research project Afghans in Iran: Migration Patterns and Aspirations focuses on migration patterns and aspirations of the Afghan population in the Islamic Re- public of Iran (later, Iran). In addition, the national and international policies and contexts are discussed related to this migration. During the past few decades, Iran has become a key area hosting Afghans. Through the years, the number has been smaller and larger than 3 million and has consisted of people with different legal statuses in Iran, including registered refugees recognized by the government of Iran and the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). In the early 2000s, the number was approx- imately one million, and this official number (951,142 Afghans) has remained without many changes for more than one decade (UNHCR 2019). Globally, Iran is one of the top countries hosting refugees. Other Afghans also legally reside in Iran. Some are students or employees in various activities. Their movement to Iran is a common global example of migra- tion from a poorer country to a wealthier neighbouring country. In recent years, many former Afghan refugees in Iran have changed their statuses to migrants with residence permits. There are also many legally residing Afghans who re- main outside the active labour market, for example, taking care of their children and having an already advanced age. Usually, all these residents need an Afghan passport and a visa to remain in Iran. The number of Afghans with passport and valid visa in Iran has varied during the 2010s, but according to Iranian and Af- ghan authorities, official estimations are approximately half a million (450,000) persons (UNHCR 2018, 27), depending on the year and circumstances, as we will explain in detail in Chapter 2. There are also Afghans who stay in Iran without proper permission to do so. Some of them do not bother to start the administrative processes to get work-re- lated visas and pay for such processes. Others do not possess Afghan passports or other required documents needed for obtaining visas. There are also Afghans who enter Iran knowing they will never get visas to reside or work in Iran. These irregular Afghan migrants are many kinds of people from seasonal workers in agriculture to low-skilled labourers in specific economic activities, such as con- struction and clothing, as well as and high-skilled migrants in specific fields. Among irregular Afghans are also people who conduct activities in the grey shadows of societies. Their activities would not be tolerated by the Iranian au- thorities or even by the legally residing Afghan population in Iran. In total, the amount of irregular Afghan migrants in Iran has been estimated to be more than one and half a million (1.5–2 million Afghans, see IOM & UNHCR 2019)—more in the high season of agriculture and less in winter. AFGHANS IN IRAN: MIGRATION PATTERNS AND ASPIRATIONS 7 The research about Afghans in Iran uses empirical field material collected in Iran in October 2017 and in June–September 2019. Furthermore, information from earlier studies and policy documents regarding Afghans in Iran are uti- lized. This report is part of a broader research about urbanization and migration in Iran. The first report, based on the fieldwork in 2017, focused on Afghan mi- grants in less-central areas, including refugee guest towns (refugee settlements), and rural areas in the Kerman, Razavi Khorasan and Khuzestan provinces (see Jauhiainen & Eyvazlu 2018). The research in 2017 was conducted in cooperation between the University of Turku (UTU, Finland) and the Shahid Beheshti University (Iran). The research in 2019 was conducted in cooperation between UTU and the Sharif Policy Research Institute’s Iran Migration Observatory at the Sharif University of Technology (SPRI, Iran). The main researchers were Professor Jussi S. Jauhiainen (UTU), Dr. Bahram Salavati Sarcheshmeh (SPRI) and Dr. Davood Eyvazlu (SPRI). In addition, research assistants were engaged with the collection, processing and analysis of the material. In particular, MA Ekaterina Vorobeva (UTU) conducted analyses for this research report. To conduct the research in 2019 in Iran, the important support from Dean of the Sharif Policy Research Institute Dr. Ali Maleki and the International Affairs Office of SUT is acknowledged, as well as the financial support from the Strate- gic Research Council at the Academy of Finland (research consortium URMI). In addition, important support